pro tempore on this day. signed, paul d. ryan, speaker of he house of representatives. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the order of the house of january 3, 2017, the chair will now recognize members from lists submitted by the majority and minority leaders for morning hour debate. the chair will alternate recognition between the parties. all time shall be equally allocated between the parties and in no event shall debate continue beyond 11:50 a.m. each member other than the majority and minority leaders and the minority whip shall be limited to five minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from oregon, mr. blumenauer, for five minutes. thank you, mr. speaker. an interesting column in the morning post about the congressional response to the opioid crisis. both the administration and congress have been good at hyping the crisis when it comes time to actually -- crisis. when it comes to actually taking action, nothing happens. this is appalling since most of the opioid crisis is the result of failed public policies. we've spent over a trillion dollars on a failed war on drugs that concentrates on prohibition and punishment instead of treatment which would help people break the cycle of addiction. the challenges that drove people to abuse opioids in the first place, like chronic pain, depression and laxed policies prescribing vast quantity its of ever more powerful opioids should never have been allowed to happen in the first place. it was a failure of government, industry and sadly unscrupulous practitioners that allowed this genie to gettle, a out of the bottle. people understandably turned to heroin and other damaging and addictive drugs because they were trapped by these powerful forces. few people willingly damaged their bodies and destroyed their families and careers if not for powerful forces beyond their control. as appalling as this failure is, what's worse is we failed to take reasonable, commonsense steps to stop it. the easiest solution is to provide more access to medical marijuana, already available in 28 states. this availability, by the way, has been driven as a result of citizen action, not politicians who've been afraid to touch it. the evidence is powerful and overwhelming. where there's access to medical marijuana to treat the problems that drove people on the path to addiction in the first place, there are fewer pills prescribed. and overdose deaths dropped. it's clear that using medical marijuana is as effective and perhaps even more effective than opioids to treat pain. they cause less damage to people's health, and they are far less costly than pharmaceuticals. i provided the subcommittee with testimony with the facts and citations that would justify digging into this solution. cannabis reduces overdose deaths. it reduces opioid consumption, and it can prevent dose escalation and the development of opioid tolerance which leads to that cycle and too often tragically opioid death. 175 people a day, as my friend greg walden pointed out in the subcommittee hearing yesterday, more people die in oregon from opioid overdose than traffic accidents. well, more benefits, fewer side effects, lower costs. mr. speaker, i'd ask unanimous consent to enter into the record the evidence i gave to the subcommittee on commerce yesterday. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. mr. blumenauer: there's a reason that up to 90% of the american public favors greater access to medical marijuana. voters in florida last year by over 70% approved their program. mr. speaker, the federal government continues to interfere, threatening medical marijuana programs, requiring congress to step in and shield it as we've done last year and for the previous two years. unfortunately, the rules committee denied us a chance to vote on it. last congress both houses approved measures for v.a. doctors to be able to consult with veterans who have a serious overdose problem. despite passing both chambers it was stripped out. the rules committee failed to allow us to vote on it. and most tragically, congress continues to allow the federal government to have a strangle hold on research to be conducted to be able to definitively answer these questions. i strongly urge my colleagues to join my friend, dr. andy harris, and me on our research bill, h.b. 3391. there's no reason that the federal government denies research to be able to definitively answer these questions. i'm tired looking at the opioid damage in my state and around the country and have congress propose band-aids when there's a simple, commonsense, widely accepted and popular approach -- allow people access to medical marijuana. the time to do it is now, and lives are being lost as we dither. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the chair recognizes the gentleman from new jersey, mr. lance, for five minutes. thank you, mr. speaker. i rise today in recognition of the academy of our lady of peace in me providence, new jersey, and the woodland elementary school in warren, new jersey, for being named blue ribbon schools by the united states department of education. new providence is in union county and warren is in somerset county, new jersey, both in the district i have the honor of representing. the national blue ribbon schools award honors public and private elementary, middle and high schools where students perform at very high levels or where significant improvements are being made in levels of achievement. r lady of peace and woodland were cites as exemplary high-performing schools as measured by state assessments and national tests. this recognition is a testament to the outstanding work and dedication of the faculty and staff in creating schools where students master challenging content. and these are among our youngest students. infectious in their enthusiasm because of the excellent schools they attend. i also commend joel costello, principal of our lady of peace, and jeffrey haney, principal of woodland, for all of their hard work. i also commend the faculty, parents and the communities in general. this prestigious award is noted throughout the country, and certainly the united states department of education is to be commended for presenting these awards. the academy of our lady of peace and the woodland school are proud examples of academic excellence and worthy of this national distinction. mr. speaker, i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the chair recognizes the gentleman from illinois, mr. gutierrez, for five minutes. mr. gutierrez: a little over a month ago, hurricane irma struck the caribbean island of st. martin very, very hard. within a couple of days i got a call from a loved one of a couple of constituents. they had family members trapped at a hotel in st. martin with dozens of other americans. the power was out. they were running out of food and water and incidents of looting were reported so they called me, their congressman, and i called the state department to see what could be done. within 36 hours of my call, our u.s. citizens, nearly 150 of them, were evacuated from an island in the ocean surrounded by water. and do you know where they were taken to for safety? puerto rico. yes, puerto rico, where it has now been three weeks since hurricane maria and most people don't have power or clean drinking water and where the deterioration of the health care system is leaving people without critical treatments and causing the death toll to go up. now, in st. martin, this is what the state department said, according to nbc news. quote, evacuation efforts were prioritized u.s. citizens needing urgent medical care and within a few days they had evacuated 1,200 americans. so right now if 1,000 u.s. citizens are facing danger in japan, ethiopia, finland, our state department would arrange to save them. but if we have millions of americans facing danger in puerto rico and we can't help them, not the military, not fema and not the state department because, well, they don't assist u.s. citizens who are on u.s. soil even if that soil is a colony in the ocean surrounded by water, as our president reminds us. 36 hours to get evacuated from st. martin, three weeks in puerto rico and still no plan for evacuation. and this morning the president is tweeting that he wants to pull fema and the military out of puerto rico. how long do we have to stay in puerto rico, mr. president? until every puerto rican's name is taken off the vietnam memorial wall or erased from the records of the korean war, afghanistan and iraq. as long as it takes. they gave their lives and died. yesterday, a lot of us received military briefings from fema. the military and homeland security. i wanted to know whether fema and the military are prepared to take people off the island as we normally do in emergency situations. we did in in houston, in jacksonville, in new orleans. no. the governor hasn't asked for evacuating people, they told me. i asked how many bridges, even temporary ones, have been constructed on puerto rico to replace those destroyed by the hurricane to allow for the transportation of supplies and the evacuation of people? none, congressman, zero. we have not erected any bridges. again, because the governor of puerto rico hasn't asked us to. when i was there, i flew over the town in the mountains, well-known for coffee. there are six ways in and out of the town and five of those bridges are gone. three weeks after d-day in 1944, the allies liberated the deep water port, one of the most important objectives in france. it took 20 days. we built bridges and communication lines along the way. we made better progress in the three weeks after d-day than we are making on puerto rico, and in puerto rico, to the best of my knowledge, there are no germans shooting at us. now, when i asked the officials about evacuating people from the island, they had no real answer. but if i remember correctly, fema and the military comes to us to fund their budget every year. they are accountable to this congress. and we are accountable to our constituents. constituents are coming to me, as they did in st. martin, and they're saying, help us get our families out of danger's way. mr. speaker, when will we be able to give these constituents an answer as to why their family members and loved ones aren't being allowed to leave the island and evacuated from danger? this weekend, members of congress are going to puerto rico, and i spoke with a few of them and i was saying, hey, you know, at night you should go to this place and they stopped me. they cut me off. they said, congressman, we're not staying overnight. so on an island where 85% of the power is out, members of congress are only going to see things during the day. not during the pitch black darkness which is what puerto ricans are living with every single night for the last three weeks. regardless of what my colleagues see during the day or what the president tweets in the morning, my friends who stand in line for hours for food, if they can find it, my constituents worried about their family members and five million puerto ricans have run out of patience. we want our people free to live in the united states of america wherever they can. mr. speaker, my constituents want the government to help get their families out of danger's way. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the chair now recognizes the gentlewoman from north carolina, ms. foxx, for five minutes. thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, i rise today to recognize north carolina fifth district constituent mr. stuart eperson whose work has positively affected so many in north carolina and so many across this great nation. stuart, or stu, as his freppeds know him, is living -- friends know him, is living proof that not only is the american dream possible, it is achievable. it is if you're simply willing to work hard for it. stu's story is a model one for all. growing up on a small tobacco farm in virginia, stu learned hard work and perseverance. in the 1980's, stu and his brother-in-law started as the salem media group to minister to and report positive news to families across the country. . under his leadership salem radio group and salem radio now host 120 radio stations, 67 of which are in top 25 markets and operates 2,400 affiliates. time when many a americans opt to turn off the due to the negative content, his audience is turning in to be inspired and to be informed. the content put forth by the salem media group serves as a beacon of hope to the many families seeking positive and instructive stories. due to the content, his audience is turning in mr. speaker, when i consider the body of his work, i'm reminded of the parable of the faithful servant in luke 12:48. the good book tells us that for unto whom over much is given, of him much shall be required. the lord has certainly gifted mr. eperson with some amazing abilities and in return he's used these talents to give back to multiple community activities. among those activities are the winston-salem rescue mission, salem pregnancy support center, time mentoring program, and the christian association of youth mentoring which time mentoring he founded finally, mr. speaker, i'm sure stu would agree that the adage behind every good man is a good woman is a true one for him. stu married the love of his wife 54 years ago. this lovely couple has four children and 21 grandchildren. stu stu not only for his many accomplishments but also for his dedication to ensuring that radio remains family friendly and value focused. of stu's life and work, i'm pleased to announce that soon stu will be receiving the highly coveted vision and leadership award from the family research council. this award is justly deserved by such an accomplished man and i add my salute to him. i know that the community in inston-salem, this nation, and the wider world have benefited from stu's many efforts to make the world a better place. i commend mr. eperson on his many accomplishments and service to our nation. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the the gentlewoman yields back. the chair recognizes the gentleman from maryland, mr. brown, for five minutes. mr. brown: mr. speaker, it's and in what here direction puerto rico and the virgin islands are heading today. there's not enough food. millions are struggling to live without drinking water. electricity, and only 8% of the roads are opened to traffic. containers with supplies, medical supplies, and food and other commodities are sitting in containers on the docks, in the port of san juan. and are not moving towards the people and the communities that need them the most. struggles in the virgin islandses are less heard about but no less real. the question is whether we as a nation are doing all we can for the citizens of this nation. let's compare. after an earthquake hit haiti in 10, where the infrastructure was severely damaged, the u.s. military mobilized as if we were going to war. was the very next morning after the earthquake hit, an army unit was airborne. ithin two weeks 33 ships and 22,000 soldiers had arrived. than 300 helicopters were delivering millions of pounds of food and water not just to the port but to the people of haiti. by contrast, today there are fewer than 14,000 military personnel assisting in relief efforts in puerto rico and the virgin islands. and there are only 88 helicopters and only than 300 h four naval ships, one of them the usns comfort, that are aiding 3.5 million americans. 3.4 million americans in puerto rico, 100,000 americans in the virgin islands. in haiti, mr. speaker, we airlifted 15,000 u.s. citizens in 2010 after the earthquake. but in puerto rico and the virgin islands, we're unwilling to evacuate a single american, even those who have relatives and friends in the many communities across the 50 states of this great country. as americans are starving and americans are desperate, our response needs to be more vigorous. now, let's be sure the military is doing what we're asking them to do. this is not a criticism of the military not doing what we're asking them to do. but the white house is not asking the military to do enough. mr. speaker, the president must lead on this issue. we've got dedicated members of the army, air force, navy, marines, and coast guard who are willing, ready, and able to be in puerto rico and the virgin islands to deliver the relief to our neighbors and our citizens. we need to ask the department of defense to send more engineers, companies, tation and expeditionary sustainment battalions. yesterday i asked a senior military leader companies, and, how many pontoon bridges have been erected in puerto rico to cross those washed out roads? zero. how many miles of power transmission lines have been re-established to get electricity out to more communities? the answer is zero. we have military engineers on the ground, but they have not been asked to do that. we need to direct our military to provide the direct services in military or parlance on the tactical level. i'm not talking about long-term rebuilding of puerto rico and the virgin islands by the in mi parlance united states military. i'm talking about directing the department of defense to establish the minimum infrastructure necessary to do the job that we should be asking them to do, which is to provide relief to 3.5 million americans in puerto rico and the virgin islands. strategic movements are good. military assessments and evaluations help, but what is needed is no less than what was done seven years ago when haiti. mr. speaker, the president must lead on this issue and the president must ask our military to do more. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the chair recognizes the gentleman from pennsylvania, mr. hompson, for five minutes. mr. thompson: thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, today is national farmers day. from farm to fork our farmers work hard to put food on dinner tables across this country and around the world. today is traditionally been a day to recognize farmers and thank them for all this hard work. records from national farmers day events date back to the 1800's. mr. speaker, our farmers are the cornerstone of our rural communities. they face tough odds by the very nature of the business and food security is national security. right now there is a critical shortfall of skilled young and beginning farmers and ranchers. that's why together with congressman joe courtney of connecticut and congressman john faso of new york we introduced the young farmers success act. this legislation provide incentives for those who would like to pursue a future in the agriculture industry by adding farmers to the public service loan forgiveness program, which currently offers loan payback assistance for professions such as government service, teaching, and nursing. under the program, eligible public service professionals who make 10 years of income-driven student loan payments can have the balance of their loans forgiven. on monday i heard from a number of young farmers in upstate new ork, in congressman faso's district. the house agriculture committee hosted a farm bilasening session and -- list why -- farmer listening session and we covered topics from dairy and nutrition assistance programs and we heard great feedback from those who shared their stories. the house agriculture -- as the house agriculture committee works to craft the next farm bill, these listening session vs. allowed us to hear firsthand from those directly impacted by the farm bill. they provide us with real world examples of what is working and what isn't working. with farmers in every region of this contry, we heard from many different perspectives. this feedback will help us write the best farm bill possible. mr. speaker, food security is national security. it aids the long-term sustainability of our country. they provide fresh produce and products to communities throughout the country and there is no better food than something grown locally. today we celebrate our food producers on national farmers day, but we should also celebrate them every day for putting food on our tables and in our grocery stores. let's face it, farming is a tough business. long hours, unpredictable commodity prices, and even more unpredictable, weather conditions. it is also exciting, rewarding, and full of opportunities. generations of farmers have worked every patch of american soil caring for the an millions and -- animals and their neighbors. as vice chairman of the house agriculture committee i want to whole heartedly thank america's farmers for providing our country with safe, sustainable, healthy and nutritious food every day. happy farmer's day. thank you, mr. speaker. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentleman from oregon, mr. defazio, for five minutes. mr. defazio: well, last weekend i was shocked to read the statements of the republican chair of the foreign relations committee in the senate, senator corker. and he said that, quote, trump has put us on the path to world war pr. -- iii. this makes it essential that congress assert its full powers under the constitution of the united states. in reaction to nixon's secret bombing of cambodia and in the aftermath, congress passed something called the war powers act. unfortunately, there was a the two bodies and ultimately the two bodies and ultimately the senate prevailed and watered-down the bill. instead of saying before the president engages our troops in hostilities, that he or she must come to the congress. nstead the bill ultimately 48 hours after the president has engaged our troops in hostilities, he or she must report to the congress and then seek subsequent authorization or the troops would be withdrawn after 60 days. i have introduced legislation in this and preceding congresses to fix that that clearly does not represent the constitutional powers of the united states congress. the constitution is absolutely clear. only congress has the authority to declare war. once war is declared, the president under the constitution is the commander in chief and would act with one voice to conduct the war and coordinate the military efforts. my bill would say, do away with the allowance of 48 hours and say, before engaging u.s. troops and military in hostilities, that the president must first come to the congress and seek a eclaration of war. absolutely essential that this congress act on this legislation and make it clear to the president of the united states that he does not have absolutely essential that this congress act on this legislation and the aut one morning and tweet an attack against another country and engage the people in an escalation that may end, as senator corker says, in world war iii. this is a very, very dangerous time for our country. it's time for this separate and equal branch of the government full authority to rein in any and all dangerous activities by this president. with that i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the chair recognizes the gentleman from arizona, mr. ranks, for five minutes. mr. franks: thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, the first amendment of our constitution gives us this precious freedom of speech that we so cherish in america. contrary to the heated debate in public opinion, we're in the united states rarely facing the kind of persecution that necessitated this great protection. so i rise today to shed light on the abridgement of freedom of speech that is often widely discussed but few americans ever have to endure. . individual freedom of speech is infringed. sharing one's views freely on the internet can be punishable, even by death. late one eveningn september, a well-known indian journalist was murdered outside her home. she was, quote, an establishment figure with a reputation for her fearless criticism of unmocratic elements within the parties in power. the circumstances of her death were strikingly similar to the murds of three additional indian activists. and just weeks ago, another of india's most prominent political was alist, professor elia, hindu ed by a-due -- a member of india's parliament. this member issued atatement that therofessor should be, quote, publicly hanged he received numerous death threats. these threats had significant effect. professor to attack elia with stones. kancha is now under self-imposed houserrest because hs simply not safe otherwise. was professor elia's crime significant? kancha was called the father of the indian constitution and his crime of professor elia, he was the author of "why i am not a hindu." a recent translation "post-hindu india" is what sparked the threat against him. this book was described in a polarized context of modern day india, specifically dealing with the productivity of the dalites, and the, quote, low cast, and seemingly spiritual and monetary monopoly of the, quote, hiercasts. these became morrell vant in the crisis. the results farmers' suicides due to hopelessness and joblessness ue to the economic slowdown. mr. speaker, i stand on the floor of the united states house of representatives to state unequivocally that the united states and the entire global community is and should be deeply concerned about this threat to the life of professor elia, one of the world's well-known intellectuals. our trusted ally and friend, india, is better than this, mr. speake. professor kancha elia's freedom of speech should not be infringed and his protection and that of those like him shoulde the utmost priority to the indian government. i'm able to express freely this viewpoint because we have freedom of speech in this united states of america, mr. speaker. may we remember at what cost and for what purpose we were given this priceless freedom. thank you, mr. speaker. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the chair recognizes the gentlewoman from florida, ms. wasserman schultz, for five minutes. ms. wasserman schultz: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise today to recognize breast cancer awareness month. for millions of us in the breast cancer community. the statistics are sobering. one in eight women will get breast cancer in her lifetime. earlier this year i received a note from a former staffer. i had watched this young woman blossom from a young and eager intern to ultimately serving as my executive assistant and scheduler before she departed the hill for graduate school, marriage and a future full of promise. in the note she wrote, my wedding was about two months ago. it was the most magical night of my life. it was so incredible to be surrounded by so many friends and loved ones and goodwill i can't ever imagine being happier than i was that night. she went on to say, unfortunately, things have gotten a little more complicated since then. while i was on my honeymoon i noticed a small lump in my right breast. since i had the benefit of working for you i know while rare it is possible that young women can get breast cancer. and i should take it seriously. i think you can probably guess where this is going. she continued, we have no idea how this happened to me. i guess some people get struck by lightning, some people are deathly allergic to peanuts and some get breast cancer at 29 with no family history. luckily it was caught early and the doctors have every confidence that it's fully curable and i will live a long and happy life. she ended by thanking me for advocating for breast cancer awareness. she said, d.w.s., as i am often referred to by staff, keep fighting the good fight. it is saving the people like me. today she is fighting the good fight and i know she will win. unfortunately, just like my former staffer, i know it can strike even when you are young. in 2007 when i was only 41 years old i learned i had breast cancer. like many others before me when i was diagnosed and later identified as a bracket 2 gene mutation carrier, i worried about many things. would i be there to see my children grow up? would i be able to beat this disease? wasn't i too young to have breast cancer? fortunately with the passage of the a.c.a., the affordable care act, insurance coverage cannot be taken away from people like me and like my former staffer. access to affordable, quality health care is a right now, not a privilege. as members of congress, we have a duty to protect this right. instead of calling for senseless votes to repeal this legislation, i call on my republican colleagues to join me in recognizing breast cancer awareness month by supporting those of us who are living healthier, stronger lives every day because of the affordable care act. the statistics for breast cancer remain alarming. the american cancer society estimates that 40,610 women will die from breast cancer in 2017 alone. making it the second most common type of cancer death in women. between the ages of 60 and 84, breast cancer incidents rates are marketedly higher in white women than black women. however, black women have a higher incident rate before age 45 and are more likely to die of breast cancer at every age. this is wholly unacceptable. we must take action to provide women with the preventive services and screenings available by educating them on their risk and treatment options. that is why in 2009 i introduced the early act, a bipartisan bill that became law as part of the affordable care act to focus on equipping young women with the tools they need to make informed decisions regarding their breast health. i am proud that early act was re-authorized in 2014, and even more proud that it has and is helping young women like my former staffer. this congress i also introdeuced the pals act with my good friend from indiana, congresswoman susan brooks. this bill would extend the moratorium on the united states preventive services task force to ensure women have lifesaving mammograms beginning at age 40. it would ensure women who served our country, our women veterans, don't have to face these same obstacles get the care their health care deems necessary. because many insurance companies use the guidelines as the basis for coverage, 22 million women between ages 40 and 49 could be at risk of losing coverage for this lifesaving screening. the bottom line is the vast majority of experts recommend beginning screening mammograms at age 40. women need to follow this guidance until scientific consensus can be reached. as someone that was diagnosed at age 41, i can tell you women need guaranteed access to these tests beginning at age 40. we must also ensure the national institutes of health has the funding it needs to continue their progress. i will continue to use my voice and my vote as an appropriator to ensure that critical funding is provided to the annual appropriations bill for breast cancer research, services and support. my story and my former staffer's story isn't unique. that is why we must do more to support our mothers, sisters, daughters and friends who are battling or who have survived this deadly disease and we must do everything we can to eradicate breast cancer once and for all. i look forward to continuing to work together with all of you, my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, and with the advocacy community to help women know their risks, discover cancer early and access the best treatment possible. thank you. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman yields back the balance of her time. the chair recognizes the gentleman from california, mr. night, for five minutes. mr. knight: thank you, mr. speaker. yesterday i, along with my good friend, marcy kaptur, re-established the nasa caucus. last week i spoke about the 50th anniversary of my father's absolute air speed record flight that happened on october 3, 1967. two weeks ago was the 70th anniversary of the air force, and on saturday, we welcomed the anniversary of supersonic flight. for years there was a thought there was a barrier to stop aircraft or inhibit flight controls. many believed attempting to pass through this barrier would be fatal. ll, on october 14, 1947, captain charles e. "chuck" yager quickly ed from a b-29 accelerated through that invisible barrier we know as the speed of sound. the first man to achieve mach 1, we know that as something simple today. but for the last 70 years it was because of one man that we get to do this. general yager retired in 1975 as a brigadier general after 45 years of flying for the army air corps and for the united states air force. what he achieved that day was something that many men didn't think would happen. there were about two or three pilots at the army airfield in southern california that were trying to do it, but absolutely there was only one that did it. captain yager flying the bell x-1 that he renamed glamerous glennis after his wife was the man who achieved that. now, i am proud to represent the men and women of edwards air force base with kevin mccarthy and i understand what they do on a daily basis. from the f-35 to the f-22 to all of the aircraft that happened out there at edwards to all of the flying expertise that they have on a daily basis and i am very proud of them. i'm proud of what edwards air force base means for the country. i am proud what they mean to the history of this nation. what i'm most proud of the men and women because on a daily basis they create history. and for that i am most proud. i yield back the balance of my time. thank you, mr. speaker. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the chairecognizes the gentlewoman from florida, ms. wilson, for five minutes. mr. speaker, i rise today in remembrance of u.s. army sergeant ladavid johnson who was killed in nigeria, west africa, during an ambush carried out by boko haram and other extremists linked to isis. this tragic loss of a life still so young and full of promise and potential is one of the saddest ironies i could ever imagine. sergeant johnson was just 25 years old, a father of two children and beloved member of the miami gardensommunity in whh i reside. he and his two younger brothers, keon and richard, are proud members of the 5,000 role models of excellence project and in-school dropout prevention program that i created soon after sergeant johnson wasorn to ensure that he and other boys and young men of color have unfettered access to the road to success. 5,000 role model members all over the worldre mourning his death. he's married to miesha johnson and she's expecting into third action. i sprung into action when boko haram kidnapd school girls in their school. i traveled to nigeria four times in my quest and i initiated to bring back our gls. i appreciate the support, especially from my leader, nancy pelosi. i traveled there in august and met over 100 girls who were once hostages of boko ram. wante them to know that the congress loves them and we will never, ever forget them. boko haram actually means western education is sin. they believe girls should be denied the privilege of an education and have killed more people than isis. in fact, they have joined forces with isis in the region and have killed over 20,000 africans sexually abused women and girls and sent them on suicide missions using babies as decoys. more than one million people have been displaced from their homes and are staing to death. what a tragedy. it would be an even greater tragedy to allow the deaths of sergeant johnson and his comrades, staff sergeant ian c. black, 35 of washington state. staff serant injury maya w. johnson, 39 from ohio. d staff sergeant dustin wright, 29 of georgia, be in vain nearly a year ago this chamber voted unanimously for legislaon that senator susan collins, republican of maine, and i introduced that directs the secreties of state and defense departments and the director of national intelligence to jointly develop a five-year strategy to end bok haram's reign of terror. the law alscalls for a plano assist the nigerian government, the multinational joint task foe d international partners in their efforts to counter th regional threat. our soldiers were not there to fightut to provide training and assistance to the nigerian army, forces and the multinational joint task force created to combat boko haram. pride 's bursting with for all he achieved and would have accomplished. during the few years in which he bravely served our nation, he received several awards and accolades including the army achievement medal, the army service ribbon and ironically the global war on terrorism medal. boko haram is a threat to the many nations across the globe that like thenited states have committed monety and human resources to help defeat this terrori group, and we must never, ever forget that this heinous organization, their list of caslties could include e or more of our own like sergeant johnson, sff sergeant black, staff rgeant jeremiah johnson and staff sergeant wright. may they rest in peace. . the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognes the gentleman from kansas, mr. marshall, for five minutes. mr. marshall: as an obgyn and u.s. congressman i want to continue to highlight cocket as press cancer awareness month. one out of eight women will develop breast cancer. let msay that again, mr. speaker. one out of eight women will delop brst cancer. you are a woman over the age of 35, you should ask your physician if you need a mammogram. certainly if you are over the age of 50, every woman nee a mmogram every year. a mammogram is quick, easy, and the great thi about mammograms is how easy it can be to catch breast cancer at its very early stages d gives a great chance to treat e problem. over my career as ahysician, we have help hundreds of women who have successfully fought this dreaded disease, of the there are great treatments out there and ways we can save lives. i encouge every woman over the age of 35 toalk to thei physician about a mammogram. it's one thing to aware of breast cancer, but it's another hing to do something abt it. mr. speaker, i rise today to join the national woman's business council in recognizing october asational woman's fall business month. bring unique and invaluable skis and experiences to the workplace. across the count there is over nine million, nine million brin men-owned small businesses and th contribute over $1 trillion to our national economy. in kansas alone, there is more an 73 binesses owned by women, representing industries such as accounng, veterinary medicine, and management consulting. as i tour kansas i met with women entrepreneurs learning about their businesses and growing local economies and t positive impact these businesses have onheir communities. it'snspirg to see what these member he achieved and hear their perspective on the challenges that small business owners face. i ask my colleagu to join me now in celebrating these women during natiol small business women month. mr. speaker, tse mostly known as the toasketball program in acknowledge and salute the unersity of kansas and our innovative work through the kansas heartnstroke collaborativ. the collaborative has worked diligently loaf the pt ree years to establish a new model anstandard for how to efficitly treat the care of heart disease and strokein rural reas. they provide better care that saves overall costs and is a win-win. 53 counties in kansas with more than 90 hospitals, clinics, and hospitals now are represented in the collaborative care model. not only do theyetter e veof tients in rural kansas, they do so based on model that's a poster charled for our demonstration projects. in 2014, the univsity of kansas partnered with ze medical center and received a $12 million, the-year innovation grafpblet now that window is closing and i'm pleased to say that the collaborative will continue as a self-sustaing entity. let me say that again, this wi continue as a self-sustaining entity. continue to provide eicient care. and literally save thousands of rural americans' lives and give meaningful life their stroke or heart attack. as a ysician in rural kansas for three decades, this is on of the greest success stories i have ever seen and will always hold a special heart as i have seen it unfold rightefore es. the nsas heart and strok collaborative provides hope and direction for rural healthare in an as and beyond and should be looked at by her states. with that, mr. speaker, i yield ck. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlen yields back. the chair recognizes the gentleman from texas, mr.reen, without jection, so ordered. mr. green: mr. speaker, i rise of this a proud member house i'm always so honored tnow hat i have the pre-eminent privilge of anding in the well of the congress of the united states of america. who are only 435 people are elected as members from the vious states who have vot righs in w congress, on legislation, who have this privilege. so it'sn honor for me to do it. and i want people to know that en i stand here, my words are sincere and my efforts are tose that i believe can make differce in the lives of all americans. mr. speaker on yesterday i calledto the atteion of the house of representatives articles ofmpeachment, and i call theserticles of impchment to the attention of the house because it is a part of a process. it can be a three-step process which s been used on multiple occasions in theast. three-step process that allows the ember to give notice. afterhe member ges notice, thmember does not have to place ote take immediately. the member can decide that rather than have the vote take ple place meately. within two days,the memberan give noticea seco time. and then alw that pross to move fward andhe speaker can then set a time for the member to meer can ge noti a second give r present the tual aicles of impeachment. i have chosen tuse a thee-step process. initial tice it thereafter to come back before this house which every member has the privilege of doing and which has be done before, and agn notice the house, and theafter have the articles considered with a final ad mr. speaker, i don't thinkit's any cret tat i he indicated that the president should be impeached. it is no secre don't ink it's any secret that i he indited the will be a vote in congress on rticles of impeachme if, per chance, i have bn misunderstood, allow me to make it clear today. there will be a vote. there a three-steprocess that we're pursuing. that process wi continue when we return. and hen return, i assu everyone ere will vote. there has been some confusion. suspicion is because where are few fac there i much speculation so their sense of confusion about why we didn't go rward yesterday. so n allow me to make it abundantly clear. noerson, no livi, breathg chd of god so now allome to make it abundant influenced my cisiono move fward as i have. others can give their opis. no one did. i did not receive an oni indicatg that i should not forward as i did. i have made my decion. this is where i stand. and ii standlone, mr. speaker i have no fea of staing alone. if parks c sit alone in a racist southern town to deal with injustice d brinabout some form of justisurely i can stand alo in the well of th congress and stand alone on where i stand with impeachment. if dr. ki could go to jail and write one of the gatest essays on human rights of hae ever re, sury i can stand in the well of the congress if he could and jail and i can extol expand upon why i beeve we ve to move rward with impeachment. finallyhis. those you who bothered to and ad tharticlf imachment, i beg that you would, becausthat's whyhis time is being made available, so everyone can ad it and understand why we're going forward. and those of you who read them will fthat don't approve of anyone calng motrs dogs. i don'tpprove o i don't appro of it. i dot care who u are. when you say s.o.b., you a saying thatebody's mother is a dog. i dot approve of tt, by the way,hat's not widely published. yet that's in the articles of impchment. t it's there. 's there for all to e. so for tse who belie that motherhood is sacred, fr tse of believe at aresidt the unit ss oughnot say s.o.b., and you knowhat it means, i neverse the b. wd, i never use profanity, but wantyou to kow this,i'm going to move forward withhose ticles oimpeachment and motherhood is sacred. thank you, mr. speake yld back. the speaker pro tempore: mrs areeminded trefrain from engaging in personalities toward the president. the chairognizes the getlan from pennsylvan, mr fitzpatrick, forive minutes. tharning you, mr. speaker. mr. spea i rise today to sharetory of my constitut,apoli of holland, pennsylvania. on april 9, 2014, at thage of 30 she was diagnosed with a.l.s., otherse kno as lo gehrig' diseae. a.l.s. attac the nere cells in thepinacord caung them to lose ntrol their muscs. tt graated from virginia tech in may o 25 and receed hi nn as intohe.s. vy as an aviator. follwing t on gs set of his sympto whichluding crampiands, stiness his legs heas groded frm flying. he continued to serve in e navy in an admstrati he medically retired in 2014 with thrank of lieutenant cmander. e eventuallyoved back home to bucks cotyith his wife and young children. to be surroundedith family and friends. althou this disease stopped matt's caer in itsracks, he persisted and actively involved himself in the a.l.s communi and beme a strongdvocate for legion. mr. spker, eacar americans like matreive the devasting news of a terminal diagnosis. even with the azingork done, nd american medal resrc tooanyamilies accesto the poteiay lifesaving treatments will comeoo lator no at all. thousands of terminally ill patients suffer neeessly while waiti final approval for mecal technolog and other whilthe f.d.a.arrieout its three phase approval process, which can te years and co billions of dollars, many patients simy want the chance to try treatments that are aeady demonstred to e safe. a bill that was unaimously passedy the senate will ofr them a chance to extend their lives. the right to try act wod ensure terminallypatients, totherith their firstans and phaeucalanacture, can administr inveigional treatments whe alternative exists. fact, thisartisan ea is alrethe l in 37 states. a feral t to tri law would prevt theernmen rom blockingccs t pontially lifesaving medications. it wod require patients t avail all other tratmen be unable t participate in clinical trials. for those patients caught betweenhe trational drug approval delays, clinical trial process for available treatments and be wich they dno ght to try simply establiss the freedom r patients and their doctorso y therapies where th benefits far outweigh the risks ives them an option of mr. speake whether i's father cougeslyattlin a.l.s. or brave child living withne muscular dystrohy, th deserve the right to ty. speaker, i yid back. thepeaker pro tempore: the gentleman yieldsack the balance of his time. the chair recognizeshe ntleman fm nada, mr. kihuen, fofive minutes. mr. speaker, i ris today to speak abo trady that happened in my hometownf las vas last sunday, october 1 st week aorrific mass shooting took placen the counity that i greup. immediatelwn hed the news on sunday nht, like so many ple, i felt help. d i rushed to the hospital to see how i could hp. this shooting was the deadliest in modern u.s. history 58nnocent people have died. and over 500 were injured. e 5nocent victims om all walks of life they came to las vegas from all over the united stes of america. so were there to celebrte their birthds, favorite countryger, night out with friends and family, and eve celebrating theedding anniversaries. even though these famili will never g nor chrisas -get thanksgi, or another her birthday wi the lod one, ey will never forget them. anwe won't, eier. aswe grifor those who are killed or inred d pray f their milies, i want to rognize the heroesho bravely and selessly rushed to help. first respders,ncluding some who were offty andattending e concert w ran towa the gunfire to protect the concergoers and provide desperate needed carfor gave the mical care, exposing themselves to the hail of bullets while they tried to save others, people driving by who used their cars to help take shooting victims to the hospital, strangers helping strangers. the health care professionals, doctors, nurses, support staff and volunteers who had been working tirelessly around the clock to care for more than the 500 injured people. hospitality industry employees who rushed to help however they could. and the las vegas businesses and residents who have generously donated their money, time and blood to help the victims. to all of these heroes, i say thank you. thank you so much. over the coming days and weeks, i plan to speak on this floor about each individual victim to honor their life and to tell their story. i will also be speaking out to say what congress needs to do to prevent another tragedy like this from happening. we should never forget the victims of october 1, 2017, but as we embark on the long proset -- i've never been prouder to be a las vegan and i am never prouder to be a nevadan and imknow -- and i know that my city is and will always be vegas strong. thank you, mr. speaker. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the chair recognizes the gentleman from texas, mr. babin, or five minutes. without objection, so ordered. . babin: mr. speaker, i rise today to honor the life of commander seth anthony stone, a native texan, a devout christian and a true american hero who left us far too early on september 30, 2017, at the age of 41 years old. twice the recipient of the silver star medal, our nation's highest -- third highest combat award, seth was among the most highly decorated u.s. navy seals. as a seal platoon commander in iraq during the battle of ramadi in 2006, he served alongside my son, leif, as they sustained the toughest combat operations in the history of the seal team. seth was a storied and exceptional combat leader that helped turn the tide for america two of the most pivotal batals of the iraq war. he and his team played an integral role of the first army division ready first brigade team that transformed ramadi from the most violent and dangerous place in iraq to a stable, secure and peaceful city. and more than six months of continuous urban combat, a number of his seals were wounded and killed in action, including master at arms second class michael monsignor when he dove onto a agree dade to help those next to him. he was posthumously awarded the medal of honor. seth returned to iraq two years later and led a seal task unit that included american sniper chief petty officer chris kyle, also from texas. seth's outstanding combat record placed him in a very special class that included petty officer michael monsignor, chief petty officer chris kyle, petty officer jobe. seth epit hised the warrior ethos. he saved countless u.s. service members and he helped bring stability to embattled regions of the world. about his military service, seth said, it was my honor to fight for my country. the best life is one lived is a sacrifice for others. i love my country and i love the team. that is what drove me to fight so hard for america while wearing the seal triedant. at the same time, i did -- triedent. at the same time i didn't consider myself a seal but a warrior for the lord. throughout his life he served the lord from a place of deep faith. he was a very special person. i was proud to know him and i will be forever grateful for his service to our great country. and the friendship and camaraderie that he had with my son and all those that he served with. and while seth has left us on earth, his passion for his friends, his country and his lord will certainly live on and never be forgotten. thank you, and i yield back, mr. speaker. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the chair recognizes the gentlewoman from ohio, ms. kaptur, for five minutes. ms. kaptur: there was applause from the gallery and every american applauds. mr. speaker, i have an alert for the trump administration. the trump-led fema, that's the federal emergency management agency, part of the department of homeland security, is falling far short on disaster relief in puerto rico. in fact, i think one could say ey are actually peril ousley short on helping our fellow citizens in puerto rico. it's now been 22 days, that's 528 hours since hurricane maria destroyed the puerto rico. now, hundreds of thousands of our fellow citizens in port reek still, still have no fresh water -- puerto rico still, still have no fresh water, little food with many villages lacking any means for communication. many have no dry cots or sleeping bags to replace the wet mattresses and moldy surroundings that characterize the puerto rico of today. now, let me say that puerto rico is not a large island. it's a little over 100 miles wide. not much larger than my congressional district in ohio which extends from cleveland to toledo. the difference with puerto rico is the topography is much more hilly. so i ask myself the question -- airdrop vital sustenance from the start? where is the help from the far flung villages because when the rains came it washed out bridges and roads that make all these tiny towns inaccessible, inaccessible? fresh water pacts can be airdropped. our -- packets can be airdropped. our military does that all over the world. why can't those fresh water packets be dropped in puerto rico? we can drop packets with peanut butter and bread. we do that all over the world. why can't we do that in puerto rico? why can't we airdrop food? citizens in ohio with families and friends in puerto rico whom they are desperately worried have been told that many smaller towns that where they have relationships lack relief and any assistance now, 528 hours, 22 days into this deep human tragedy. i want to place on the record -- and i hope somebody at fema is listening -- names of some of the victimages that are completely cut off -- villages that are completely cut off because roads and bridges are destroyed and no relief has come. no relief has come. ponce in the south is one. ituaro. aricibo. oxuaco. corozo. comero. luisa. toabaja. linares. those are names that have been given. aid to these pockets of desperation is almost three weeks overdue. people need relief now. fema also needs a better plan -- in fact, they need a plan. i don't think they have any plan to immediately evacuate people to the mainland for respite. places like cleveland, lorraine, ohio, toledo, ohio, we could accept people who now are living in conditions you would wish on no american. we cannot risk more illness and death. children should not be missing school after the horror they've experienced. and we shouldn't have the level of hardship that have been subjected to people who are still enduring the devastation of maria. what is happening there is inhumane. most of the television stations are down in san juan, and that's where the governor of puerto rico is most of the time when our codels go down there but the desperation is in the countryside. it's outside of san juan which is inaccessible. president trump, the people of america -- and let me tell you those in ohio need you to help their families and countrymen now. fema can do so much better for our fellow americans. fema's initials stand for federal -- federal emergency management, so where is the emergency? where is the management? and where is the federal reputation for excellence and leaving no man or woman behind? fema, shape up. america demands more and americans deserve more. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman's time has expired. the chair will remind all persons in the gallery that they are here as guests of the house and that any manifestation of approval or disapproval of proceedings is in violation of the rules of the house. the chair now recognizes the gentleman from indiana, mr. messer, for five minutes. mr. messer: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise today to urge president trump to decertify the disastrous iran nuclear deal. there are reports that decertification may come as early as tomorrow, and i certainly hope so. the iran nuclear deal was a giant mistake. it has been bad for america's national security, bad for our ally israel's national security and bad for the world. by decertifying the flawed iran nuclear deal before october 15, the administration has a chance to send a strong message, that the united states will not sit idly by while the iranian threat continues to grow. the deal was premised on a naive notion that iran would somehow evolve into a peaceful global partner. but that couldn't have been further from the truth. make no mistake about it, iran is not our friend. they do not share our values and should not have been trusted. for decades, iran has called the united states the great satan, and their leadership continues to call for the total annihilation of our ally israel. iran remains the state -- the largest state sponsor of terrorism in the world and is actively working towards obtaining a nuclear bomb. this much is clear, iran has not upheld the spirit of this deal. now is the time to reassert our authority on the world stage and hold iran accountable. i look forward to working with america, trump to keep our allies and the rest of the world safe from iranian aggression. thank you, mr. speaker. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the chair now recognizes the gentleman from florida, mr. yoho, for five minutes. mr. ho: thank you, speaker. i rise today to honor the discovery of hernandez soto 1939 encampment and the lost native american town of hotano by the university of florida professors dr. white, michelle white, and ethan white. this newly discovered archaeological site is the oldest confirmed new world contact site in the united states and one of the most important events in u.s. history, de soto was the first european to discover the mississippi river and explore an area that would today hold 10 states. until this incredible archaeological discovery, there was no evidence of de soto's discovery. it includes very rare king ferdinand's coins, queen isabella coins and the oldest dated european artifact ever on earth in the united states. other rare items include morano glass beads dated from the early 1500's. it was in quitano. includes discovered were the remains of the first locations buuna ventura mission. within the floors of the mission, the team discovered the largest cache medieval coins found in the american mainland so far. acknowledgment for confirmation and confirmation of the artifacts go to large and diverse group of scholars throughout the country. . the they reent findings were published in the pier reviewed international journal of archaeology and with the florida department of state. divisions of historical resources, the bureau of research in tallahassee, florida. the collection of artifacts is at the florida museum of natural history on the campus of my alma mater, the university of florida. additionally, i'd like to recognize today is the national farmers day, a day when we say thanks to all of our farmers and ranchers for the work they do. our original -- our research in tallahassee, florida. the collection agricultural industry in a lot of ways is the backbone of this country t feeds our nation and a big portion of the world, and accounts for 11% of overall employment. most people don't realize how farmers affect their life, but it's important to reflect the interdependence on rural and urban life. people often associate florida with tourism, but agriculture is florida's number two industry, utilizing 1/3 of florida's available land. without agriculture, urban developments, in fact all developments, could not flourish. here is a simple symbiotic relationship between families and communities. and that is if you are hungry, you're going to eat. every time you get hungry, you think about your farmers. so thank a farmer today. it is fitting that our national farmers day -- on national armers day that i'm able to relationship between families and rise and honor a true florida legend, mr. bud adams of fort pierce, florida, and his contributions to the florida cattle industry. he's an icon in florida anti-nation's cattle industry. mr. adams was a pioneer, a wildlife photographer, more than anything else, he was a true american pioneer and cattle rancher. he was a real american cowboy in florida, and they are known in florida as florida crackers. that name is derived from the sound of a bullwhip it's when it's used to round up and herding cattle. after a stint in the navy during world war ii, he returned home to work and grow the family ranch. over the past 80 years you could find mr. adams on horseback surveying the land and cattle that they raise. he was a strong advocate for conservation and was nationally recognized for his leadership and preserving the land for future generations. even more so, mr. adams is known or creating the breed of attle, a cross between the calt and hair forward cattle. mr. adams was rightfully proud of this breed and went on to found the association. additionally mr. adams was a roud member of the florida cattleman's association. he served as the president in 1958 and for the last 59 years he was always willing to offer a helping hand to the calt and ha cattle. mr. new florida cattleman's leadership. mr. adams will always be remembered for the impact he had on the florida cattle industry and his willingness to nurture future generations of the florida cattlemen. he will be greatly missed and i thank you. yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the chair now recognizes the gentlewoman from florida, ms. os-lehtinen, for five minutes. ms. ros-lehtinen: mr. speaker, i'd like to encourage my colleagues to support the care corps demonstration act. by the year 2030, there will be more than 72 million older americans. as they age, many of these seniors will require long-term support and services, placing a significant burden on our elderly care system already to provide and finance services to our seniors. the care corps demonstration act , which my colleague, congresswoman michelle lujan grisham, and i have introduced will address this growing need by placing care corps volunteers in communities where they will provide essential services to seniors that will allow these older americans to remain independent. in turn, these wonderful volunteers will receive assistance in paying down their educational expenses. and more importantly, mr. speaker, this program will help us train a new generation of health care providers. to meet our nation's demand for senior care services by giving our students essential real world experience in the field. mr. speaker, this bill will create stronger communities across our nation by bringing generations of americans together. i encourage my colleagues to care corps bill, the demonstration act of this session, and the bill number, mr. speaker, is h.r. care corps demonstration act 3493. so please contact our congressional office or the the congresswoman michelle lujan grisham, to co-sponsor h.r. 3493. thank you, mr. speaker. i yield back. the congresswoman michelle lujan the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman yields back. the chair now recognizes the gentleman from louisiana, mr. abraham, for five minutes. mr. abraham: i thank you, mr. speaker. i rise today to recognize american farmers also on national farmers day. i call our american farmers the thin green line because food security is national security. we can never discount the importance of our nation's ability to feed itself. and we can do so only by the hard work of the men and women in the agricultural community. in honor of national farmers day, i wanted to recite a poem first delivered by a radio personality, paul harvirks to the f.a.a. convention in 1978. the poem is as follows. on the eighth day god looked down on his planned paradise and said i knee a caretaker. so god made a farmer. god said i need somebody willing to get up before dawn, milk cows, work all day in the fields, milk cows again, eat supper, go to down and stay past midnight at a meeting of the school board. so god made a farmer. i need somebody with arms strong enough to rustle a calf yet gentle enough to deliver his own grandchild, somebody to call hogs, tame machinery, come home hungry, have to wait for lunch until his wife's done feeding visiting ladies, then tell the ladies to be sure and come back real soon, and mean it. so god made a farmer. god said i need somebody willing to sit up all night with a newborn colt and watch it die and then dry his eyes and say maybe next year. i need somebody who can shape an ax handle from a persimmon sproud, you can make a harness out of haywire, feed sacks, and food scraps. and harvest season will finish his 40 hour week by tuesday noon. and then painting from cracker back put in another 72 hours so god made a farmer. god had to have somebody willing to ride the ruts at double speed to get the hey in ahest rain clouds but stop in mid field and come to help when he sees the first smoke from a neighbor's place. so god made a farmer. god said i need somebody strong nough to clear trees and heave bales yet gentle enough to wean pigs. who will stop his power mower for an hour to splint the broken leg of a meadow lashing. it had to be somebody who would plow deep and straight and not cut corners. somebody to seed, weed, feed, breed, and rake, and disk, and plow, and plant, and straintmil, and replenish the self feeder and finish a hard week's work with a five mile drive to church. the ody who would bail family together with a soft strong bonds of sharing. who would laugh and then sigh, then reply with smiling eyes, when his son says, that he wants to spend his life doing what his dad does. so god made a farmer. and with that, mr. speaker, i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. pursuant to clause 12-a of rule 1, the chair declares the house in recess until noon today.